Netanyahu, explaining why he thought Israel should accept the American offer, told the ministers, “an international situation has developed that must be taken into account. There’s an American proposal here that mandates serious discussion. In any case, we will talk about all the issues [with the PA], not just about borders.”

The prime minister’s aides said later that he has no intention of complying with the U.S. demand to discuss borders first, noting that he told Clinton last week “all the issues must be on the table.”

But he also told Clinton that Jerusalem should be the last item on the agenda, due to its sensitivity.